


PTSD

by NYWCgirl



Series: Comfortember 2020 [11]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: CaringMac, Gen, HurtJack, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Team as Family, taking care of each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:27:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27506815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NYWCgirl/pseuds/NYWCgirl
Summary: Mac is there for Jack when he needs him, but it isn´t easy.
Series: Comfortember 2020 [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1995160
Comments: 4
Kudos: 18
Collections: Comfortember 2020, Hurt/Comfort Bingo - Round 11





	PTSD

**Author's Note:**

> this fic was written for comfortember prompt nr. 11 and fills the ‘job related trauma’ square on my H/C Bingo card.

Mac is happy that Jack is back from his hunt for Kovac, but sometimes living with Jack makes feel Mac powerless and drained. No, not living with Jack, living with Jack’s PTSD. His flashbacks and dreams of the past make him hyper-vigilant, fear strangers and fend off sleep to avoid nightmares. Mac has been on the wrong side of Jack trying to wake him up from a nightmare. And when Jack realizes what he has done, he feels guilty and they start the whole cycle over again. Mac wants to take his pain, but he’s also dealing with his own fair share of PTSD and not to mention his guilt at needing to care for himself. He didn´t realize he was undermining his own mental and physical health until Matty forced him a weekend away from Jack.

Mac hates it when Jack has bad episodes where he starts feeling undeserving and unlovable. On other days he has a controlling grip on Mac, needing to know every detail of his whereabouts and having meltdowns if he doesn´t know or even worse, thinks he doesn´t know.

To help Jack, Mac started seeing a therapist himself and he has to admit it helps him cope and not loose himself and empower Jack. It is a no nonsense therapist that has experience with service people and law enforcement and Mac has to admit it really helps and he feels like he is taking control of the situation.

‘Jack, are you ready?’

‘I don´t feel like going out.’

‘Jack, we discussed this before, you know you need to leave the house for a little while each day and you agreed to have a short run with me.’

‘I know, but…’

‘Please don´t do this Jack, it is just a short run and I really need this.’

Mac is already accepting that Jack isn´t going to come out of his room, when he does.

‘You are right Mac, let me get my shoes.’

Mac waits and when Jack comes out, he frowns, ‘really Jack? You don´t need a gun to go for a run.’

‘What if I need to defend us? Kovac’s men are still out there.’

‘Jack, we are both trained in close combat techniques. We don´t need the gun, please put it back in the gun safe.’

Jack’s look becomes more set and Mac realizes he is going the wrong way with this.

‘I’m sorry Jack, you clearly don’t feel safe. Take the gun if it makes you feel safe. I trust you.’

Jack looks unsure, but Mac encourages him, so he puts the gun in an ankle holster. They leave the house and Mac makes sure to lock the house up before they leave. He had Matty take care of having an alarm system being installed in his house, knowing it would make Jack more comfortable knowing the house is taken care of.

* * *

‘Thanks for dragging my butt out of the house.’

‘You’re welcome Jack. Want a cup of coffee before or after you take a shower? We can have it on the deck.’

‘Before, thanks.’

Jack goes outside and Mac starts the expresso machine, adding decaf coffee and takes the box of donuts he had delivered with him outside. He can see Jack’s eyes widen and a smile appears on his face.

‘When did you get these?’

‘I had them delivered this morning.’

‘Thanks Mac, you really are a brother.’


End file.
